The Basics of Localization

Language and regionalisms ensure that copy, content and brand voice come through accurately and authentically—and make users feel like the site experience has been customized for them.

Cultural elementsof communication like date and time formats, units of measure and local holidays ensure that websites communicate an understanding of global nuances and make users feel at home on the site.

Transactional elementssuch as currency, payment options, addresses and character sets are not only important for the local feel of the site, but for the accuracy and proper handling of transactions and on-site conversions.

Local communication and trust elementssuch as phone numbers, local addresses, in-language customer support, legal notices and security banners may not seem mission-critical, but they’re key to engaging with local audiences. They also ensure that your in-market sales and marketing teams have the information they need to serve your customers.

Navigation and discovery for your translated site is critical to helping users select the language they need, and immediately start interacting with your site in an authentic way.

Why Microsites Aren’t Enough

As you expand to international markets with your digital presence, one thing becomes abundantly clear:local markets expect a website experience that is every bit as fantastic as the one on your flagship site.

It can be tempting to solve the localization problem with a simplified microsite that takes your company’s essential information, translates it into the local language, and serves up an abridged experience to those users.

Preparing for Website Localization

Are you ready to localize your website? To lay a strong foundation, you’ll want to ask yourself:

Am I committed to creating a fully authentic, multilingual site so that my users know that I’m invested in their experience? (You’ll read more about this in an upcoming section.)

Do I have a website team that can support my international digital presence as it scales? A great partner can help make this easy.

Are my in-market sales teams asking for a more complete, robust online experience for their customers? If the demand is there, it might be time to meet it.

Do we have valuable, compelling content that can accelerate our global business growth if we can get it in the hands of our local audiences? You’ve already invested in a powerful online experience, and you want to maximize the return on that investment.

Be Present, Be Useful

When you localize, in-market visitors to your site should be able to experience all the elements, concepts and content that they use in their everyday lives.

That means making sure your content is using the culturally-relevant, preferred terminology, phrases and slang of the local customers you’re serving. Literal translations can come across as obviously out of touch with the local culture, andcompromise things like SEO and brand integrity.

This approach includes localizing multimedia content, too. Having images, video content and PDFs appear in the correct local language can enhance brand credibility and encourage interaction with content.

As always, the devil is in the details. Make sure important content on your site is digestible and useable in your global customers’ language—from localized currency and payment options to units of measurement, address formats and contact information. With these critical localizations in place, your customers won’t miss a beat as they’re spending time on your site.

Think Beyond the Site

Great website localization actually means thinkingbeyondthe site itself to all of the digital assets, content and channels that make up your international digital presence.

First and foremost, consider how locals will discover your site. Make sure regional search engines know about your new local website, so you’re easy to find in search results. Working with awebsite translation partner that knows SEOcan give you an advantage, too, by thinking beyond localized keywords and leveraging advanced technologies likehreflang. This ensures the translated version of your website properly displays in your customers’ local search engine results.

And make sure your omnichannel content—such as email campaigns, social media posts and offline assets—is translated, too. Work with a partner that can help you find and localize this content, and ensure that it’s connected to your digital presence in all the right ways.

Website Localization Is An Investment In Your Global Business

As you consider ways to adapt your company’s website for local markets, look for solutions that deliver accurate and authentic website translations—and also offer engagement-boosting localizations.

Doing website localization well requires world-class translators, powerful technology that can serve the right localized content it to the right audiences, and powerful workflows and translation management capabilities to easily publish, track and update the customized content you’ve invested in.

Your global business deserves the best digital presence possible. Work with a partner that can elegantly employ both website translation and localization to ensure clear, effective, relatable content for every market where you do business.

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